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Uptown Magazine - Winnipeg's Online Source for Arts, Entertainment & News

May 22, 2008


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2008-05-22

Down-home diva

Despite a Juno win and a new gig on Canadian Idol, R&B sensation Jully Black remains refreshingly down-to-earth

Jen Zoratti

When Uptown caught up with Jully Black back in November, the Toronto-based R&B diva was in the midst of promoting her recently released sophomore outing Revival - a record that was just starting to generate some serious hype.

Since that conversation, Revival went on to snag a Juno for Best R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at 2008's Juno Awards - and Black has become one of Canada's biggest names in R&B.

Indeed, it's been just a few months since Black, 30, has gone from exciting up-and-comer to critically acclaimed Juno award-winner - but lest you think she's gone and developed a Ms. Thang complex on us, think again. Judging by her reaction to her Juno win, she's more down-to-earth than ever.

"Oh my goodness, my knees went numb," she says, on the phone from her home in Markham, Ont. "You think you're prepared for these things and you're not. I just felt like, 'Mom, we did it!'"

There's no doubt Black's mom was on her mind at the Juno Awards. The youngest of nine in a Jamaican-Canadian family, Black and her siblings were raised solely by their mother in Toronto's infamous Jane and Finch neighbourhood. Black says that her mom has always been her biggest supporter.

"It's one of those things, you know, when you're 12 or 13 and you say, 'Mom, I'm gonna be a singer and I'm gonna have videos,' and it just seems like such a dream," she says. "But no matter what happened, my mom always believed in me - even though I wanted a career in the arts. As old-school as she is, she believed in me."

Now it's Black's turn to motivate others with a big dream. She's joined the cast of Canadian Idol for its upcoming season - but rather than acting as a judge, Black will play a motivational role, serving as a mentor and coach to contestants.

"For me, it confirms that I have a responsibility, it has me exercising humility," Black says of her new gig. "A lot of artists don't embrace being a role model, but I think it comes with the territory. I had a good upbringing - I just want to show the country what my mama taught me.

"I'm looking forward to being that person for them, someone they can talk to and get advice from," Black adds. "I didn't have anyone like that."

That said, it would be very easy for Black - a hard-working artist who figured it out for herself - to be dismissive of Idol, a franchise often criticised for being a glorified talent show that pumps out forgettable, cookie-cutter pop tarts (see: Kalan What's-his-face) and helps launch the careers of generic, highly commercial rock bands (see: Hedley).

While contestants certainly seem to have industry resources at their fingertips - and are therefore exempt from the important formative experiences of cutting self-financed demos, living off Kraft Dinner and playing shows to the sound guy - Black says that appearances can be deceiving.

"Idols may bypass the line a little, but they still have to pay their dues. And just because they're on TV now doesn't mean they haven't been paying their dues."

Paying dues is something Black knows all about - and she can tell you first-hand that the music industry can be tough on one's self-esteem. Perhaps that's why her key piece of advice to Idol hopefuls has a lot to do with self-acceptance.

"The easiest person to be is yourself," she says. "And whether it's Idol or a record company, they'd rather you be the first you than you be the next Beyoncé."

Still, there was a time when even ultra-confident Jully Black wasn't completely comfortable with being Jully Black. After the release of her 2005 debut, This is Me, Black found herself obsessively tracking chart positions and album reviews.

"I made myself crazy," she says. "But you really learn from your past experiences and you learn what's yours is yours."

She hasn't paid much attention to the press surrounding Revival - but if she did, she'd see words such as 'triumphant' and 'strong' sprinkled liberally throughout the record's many thumbs-up reviews. Those words are apt descriptions of a powerful record that deals with personal growth and moving forward - particularly Catch Me When I Fall, a song that allowed Black to properly grieve the death of her sister, Sharon, who died in 1990 at 24.

The record is also a nod to Black's musical growth, with her ambitious cover of Etta James' Seven Day Fool being the most high-profile example. Suggested to Black by her producer, Black Eyed Peas/Fergie touring drummer Keith Harris, the risky, unconventional choice became one of 2007's hottest songs.

It's no wonder, then, that Black isn't in a big hurry to abandon her baby just yet.

"I'm working on new things, but I don't want to sell Revival short," she says. "She's only seven months old. I'm still on my first year of maternity leave with Revival. I need to make sure she's all good before I go back to work."

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